Ehnst kassner



Sept. 2, 1930. E. KASSNER 1,774,924

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES Filed May 2'7, 1925 Patented Sept. 2, 1930 PATENT OFFICE ERNST KASSNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES Application filed May 27, 1925, Serial No. 33,156, and in Germany March 5, 1924.

The invention relates to actuating and printing mechanisms for adding and duplex adding machines, cash registers and the like. In such machines, the counters are operated by adjusting members controlled by the keys. I" eretofore, said adjusting members were initially released for action through a movement of the main drive shaft and were then actuated or driven through their range of movement by springs.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a positive drive for said adjusting members, which according to the present invention consists of two members: one being an actuating member and the other a coupling member. Both members are connected by a pawl which is adapted to couple the members with the drive shaft subsequent to a relative movement between said members which movement takes place at depression of a key. The members are uncoupled from the drive shaft when the actuating member is arrested by a. key-controlled swinging lever, whereby reverse movement between the actuating and coupling member is produced.

Another object is the positive actuation of the printing mechanism, the characters or type being carried by said coupling members.

Another object of the invention is the control of the adjusting members of the lower digits of a decimal figure which adjusting members are, according to the invention, automatically swung out into a position in which the zero type is brought into printing position.

A further object of the invention is to positively arrest the adjusting member in proper position prior to the printing operation and to hold said member in said position during the printing operation. I

' Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of means for tensioning springs, which actuate the pressure hammer of the printing mechanism, prior to the release of said hammer, and for releasing the spring tension thereafter, to enable the ham.-

mer to return to initial position by gravity.

Other objects of'the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists furthermore in the construction, combination, locationand rela tive arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings and finally pointed out in the appended claim.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a decimal figure of a duplex adding machine or cash register;

Fig. 2 shows in front view some of the adj usting members and means for bringing the adjusting members of the lower digits into zero printing position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view similar to Fig. 1 with a key depressed and the other parts in different positions;

Fig. 4 shows on an enlarged scale an actuating member and its coupling member coupled to the drive shaft.

The main drive shaft 1 is positively connected with the shaft 3 by means of a link 2, said link connecting crank disc 1 on shaft 1 and crank 2 on shaft 3. (Fig. 2). Rotatably supported on the shaft 8 are a series of actuating members 4, one actuating member being provided for each bank of keys. Each actuating member has on its upper edge stops 1 to 9 arranged in step formation and adapted to coact with an abutment 7 of a swinging lever 7. One swinging lever 7 is provided for each bank of keys and is controlled by the keys t, 25 t t Each lever 7 is adapted to be swung through a different range of movement corresponding to the denomination of the key actuated. Coupling member 4" is coupled with actuating member 4, by means of a pawl 6 carried by the coupling member. The pawl 6 has an arm 6 extending into a recess of the actuating member 4, the recess being so formed that its opposite surfaces engag ge the opposite surfaces of the arm to rock the pawl whereby, upon relative rotation between members 4 and 4, the pawl 6 is moved into and out of engagement with an abutment 5 formed on a collar 40 which is fixed to the shaft 3. A spring 8 tends to move the members 4 and 4 in such a manner as to cause the pawl 6 to engage the abutment 5 as shown in Fig. 4, where the spring 8 has moved the member 4 with respect to th erates wita abutment levers 10 and 11 in such a manner that in ition of rest and in the zero oositions of the actuating member, the latter t .ed with respect to its coupling member so far, that pawl {5 is held out of c I went with the abutment 5. The swingiiil' ovenrnt of the abutment levers l0 and l w b i 51 he correspond ing decimal order. if no key is moved. th

corresponding adjusting member remains in its p est.

1 on or;

newer r projecting in 'oove, is pivoted to the end a low mounted on sh: 1a; r23.

to saio l2. s 1 ot ac tuated swinging lv mounted r n 'Gr 1?. raj shl oscillated z t eacn revo t un oi tl Three ors 10, ll 16 carries an adjustin in eiigagement with sent portion A a oil' ver r1. The uppe en ;ch lever 11 3 connected by a spring mounted on shaft lo, normally kept The upper portion 11 on the corint depressed by ion of lever T, to ,uiove. and

U-shapeo. Ora over lO'lS mountlever 16 and lever 11.

d outside ol lev rs re svru; out of the pJ-ih of latch 9.

The advance niovement ot actuating member l relative to coupling member P per- '5 3, and the rbers linai v arrested 5; the pro ection 1*" cl lever "I, cooperating war. the stepped stops 3" actuating member it. ii rthernrare, levers ll of t l .ic lower oecimal orders are swung out to permit the movement of the actuatin membe l ot the lower orders from the position Q; in l ig. l to the position shown in 3, so as to the zero type into pr nting position For this purpose. the levers 10 are provided with bent portions i0" projecting across the levers 11 am. the shanks it of lever 10 of the next lower order as illust 'ated in Fig. 2. In this manner, all the levers 10 corresponding to the lower l -1 are swung out ol the path or the latch 5), ant the corresponding actuating members are arrested by contact of latch 9 with the hooked portions of levers 11. To prevent trai'ismissiou of this initial movement oi the adjusting members to the counters, the ecting links 18 are provided with their connecting points with the lever; ayl. The return movement of levers re. 1 9 es place shortly after the actuatli bers have been returned. lever ll by engaging the 1 1d 'er ll) is yieldingly reconnecting the bent 1 or 10. Each inal orders has overcome the total ll the lower oca nor return re 'nitial pOlltillii a sore ed on c r i nial order. wz h an abutment iltllllt'li llr member iember to a Joint at r; in e igages lever 10. red its cam l comple 1 i at each forward a1 d iachwar :nrsion of the =21 o l the drive l hy the dotted line arm 2 1 nd the 'ore reaching s beyond this ated in Fig. produces a slight forward inmenie thatabutanent l 22 an amoi== ment ol. mend when latch O ovement into 06111 5! The crank arm of the The amplilever erzrnl: disc 1. as rho Cl in Pie. 1. tude of oscillation of shat; 3 is determined by 11 n 1) +1 \4 -n' f 1} 11" t 1x Lil c 1 (1r valet \M uilA flrln In case it is desired that the adjusting member shall also carry the type characters 19, they may be arranged on the coupling member 4, which is furthermore provided with a notched segment 4", the notches thereof being spaced to correspond with the spacing of the type characters. A detent 20 coacts with said notched segment and is carried by a swingable arm 2O which is positively coupled by means of a connecting link 21 with the releasing device 22, of the pressure hammer 23 in such a manner, that, before releasing the hammer, the detent 20 is swung into mesh with the proper notch of the segment 4:", and thereby keeps the type in correct printing position.

Arm 20 is loosely mounted on shaft 20 and has integrally formed therewith two other arms 20', 20. Arm 20 is connected to the releasing device 22 of the pressure hammer 23 by means of the link 21, having a slot connection with the device 22. Arm 23 cooperates with a cam 25 by means of a cam follower 20 The cam follower is pressed against the cam 25 by a spring 20 (Fig. 1). The cut-out portion of cam 25 permits swing ing movement of the arms 20, 20, 20 whereby detent 20 is brought into mesh with the proper notch, of segment 4*, and whereupon the hook 26 of the release means 22 is moved out of engagement with the hammer 23.

The hammer 23 is actuated by a spring 33 which is tensioned previously to the actuation of the hammer by the following device: A cam 27 is mounted next to cam 25 on the main drive shaft 1. Cam 27 cooperates with a lever 28 swingably mounted on shaft 13, and connected by a link 29 to a crank lever 30. '1 1e crank lever 30 is connected by a link 31 to a lever carrying the leaf spring 33. After tensioning the spring 33 by swinging lever 32 to the left 3), the hammer is released, whereupon cam 27 moves out of contact with lever 20, thereby releasing the spring 33, and permitting return of hammer 23 to initial position by gravity. In said position, the hammer is engaged by the member 26 which is also returned to initial position by return movements of the levers 20 20 20.

The coupling member 4 transmits its swinging movement by means of links 18, 34, 35, a segmental gear 36 and an intermediate gear 37 to the counters 38 and 39 respectively as described in my copending application Serial No. 26,875, filed April 80, 1925, for

duplex adding machines and cash registers.

I claim:

In a machine of the class described, the combination of a drive shaft having a fixed excursion, a coupling member mounted on said drive shaft and rotatable with respect thereto, a collar, having two abutting surfaces, fixed to said drive shaft adjacent said coupling member, a pawl pivoted to said ERNST KASSNER. 

